Advancing Play as Key Component to Building Urban Resilience

Working with eight ambassador cities across the world – representatives from Barcelona, Belfast, Colima, Houston, Milano, Montreal, Ramallah and Tbilisi, have committed to bring visibility and financing options to play-based solutions as part of the partnership with R-Cities and the Real Play Coalition. To kick off this effort, we want to hear from you! Help us to understand the opportunities and barriers to play in your community by completing our survey here. Data and responses from the survey will help us structure the agenda for future knowledge exchanges, as well as add context to our Pledge for Play to be launched in early 2022.

ANNOUNCING: A new Community of Learning and Practice accelerating sustainable business models to foster urban resilience in Latin America
The Community aims to inspire innovative solutions through learnings and exchanges on how entrepreneurship can address social, environmental, and economic resilience challenges. Participating cities – Quito, Mexico City, Salvador, Buenos Aires, and Cordoba-, are advancing resilience by creatively solving their pressing urban issues. Cities, entrepreneurs, and private sector partners are committed to strengthening sustainable investments and business practices. This initiative is part of the Regional Initiative for Resilient Cities, in partnership with Avina Foundation and IDB-Lab, with the support of Citi Foundation. Learn more about this initiative here.

City Resilient Solutions

Lessons from Buenos Aires: How Cities Can Address Climate Change

David Groisman, Director of Resilience and General Director of Strategic Management with the City of Buenos Aires and R-Cities Global Steering Committee member recently shared five lessons learned from the development of the city’s climate change strategy. These ideas are useful for any public policy maker who is today involved in addressing climate change in an urban context. Like always, when investing in urban resilience, taking action on climate in cities represents an opportunity to not only offset the city's environmental footprint, but also to invest in a better quality of life for all. Review the five lessons shared and full article here.

Glasgow Set to Protect Vulnerable Communities from Climate Change

A cross-sector coalition of local councils, academics, infrastructure bodies, and the NHS recently published a Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan for the Glasgow City Region. The report estimates that an increase in extreme weather events could mean up to 100,000 homes and 18,700 businesses are at risk of flooding by 2080. The plan identifies 11 priority issues that require immediate investment and planning to protect and prepare Glasgow’s under capitalized communities. Solutions include specific around land use proposals, early warning systems, adapting critical infrastructure including homes and workplaces, habitat restoration, and prioritizing social justice. Access the full report here.

Events Accelerating Urban Resilience

Cities on the Frontline: Building Effective Food Systems for Cities

According to a 2019 Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll, over half of the world’s population, 60% worldwide, say they are worried about the food they eat. During our most recent Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series event Dr. Gayatri Acharya, World Bank and Dr. Steven Jaffee, University of Maryland, outlined from their new book, "Rich Food, Smart City” that urban food system performance matters - and what is more, there is a business case for action. Cities must do more to address food systems in order to fully realize related city aspirations, as well as because the performance of urban food systems is often tied to the delivery of food on a national scale. However, food is often a missing ingredient in the many dialogues on sustainable or smart cities – we must work to better address this shortcoming. Watch the full session here.

Urban Ocean: Utilizing Principles of Circularity to Address Plastic Waste

As part of the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCRC 2030) event series, R-Cities joined partners with the Ocean Conservancy, Diponegoro University, and University of Georgia to discuss the application of specific tools associated with the Urban Ocean Program. Presentations during the event provided insights into the various methodologies applied in cities to address the interrelated challenges of urban development and ocean plastic waste using a resilience lens. Specifically, speakers addressed the application of Circularity Assessment protocol (CAP) tool, as well as findings from participant cities engaged in the program through case studies including Semarang, Indonesia where stakeholders have demonstrated success applying both the CAP and Opportunity Assessment Tool. Watch the full session here.

Asia Pacific Cities Race to COP26

R-Cities Executive Director, Lauren Sorkin, joined the event marking the official launch of the Cities Race to Resilience. The Cities Race to Resilience is the official track for cities to join the UNFCCC Climate Champions Race to Resilience campaign which launched in January 2021. Several city networks and organizations are working together through this effort to raise the profile of urban resilience action. Global city partners, in addition to R-Cities, include C40 Cities, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, United Cities and Local Governments, CDP, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, World Resources Institute, and Making Cities Resilient 2030. Learn more here.

Press

Urbanet, Co-Designing Resilient Recovery in Cities

In this article, Dana Omran, Global Director of Strategy & Regional Director of Africa, R-Cities and Dr. Nazmul Huq, ICLEI argue that if countries and cities design their economic recovery plans wisely, they can tackle the pandemic and climate crises in tandem. However, “green” recovery plans often leave out the key element of building resilience from an integrated and inclusive perspective. Building resilience is about recognizing uncertainties, shocks and stresses are interconnected, and solutions have to be as well. As cities recover from COVID-19, smart and green investments and policies on resilience can create multiple benefits: helping cities boost their economies and create jobs; improving equity and reducing poverty; and preparing communities for inevitable climate and health threats.

TIME, City Heat is Worse if You’re Not Rich or White. The World's First Heat Officer Wants to Change That

Jane Gilbert, former Chief Resilience Officer, City of Miami is the City's newly announce interim Chief Heat Officer. Jane is very aware and vocal of the disparities in the way urban heat impacts communities. In this article, R-Cities Regional Director for North America, Laurian Farrell, points out that a shift in attitude is taking place in many cities around the world in the wake of the pandemic. The spread of COVID-19 in lower-income neighborhoods, where people couldn’t afford to take time off work to isolate, or where housing was overcrowded or hygiene infrastructure lacking, showed local governments that at times of crisis, their failure to invest in the most vulnerable can put the entire city at risk.

The Jakarta Post, Indonesia must chart a way to urban sustainability

Even as Indonesia confronts the significant near-term challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jakarta and other municipalities should also leverage the opportunity for reassessment and reinvention as part of longer time moves toward greater resilience. This point was echoed by R-Cities Executive Director Lauren Sorkin, "Municipalities must foster more effective multi-sectoral conversations to generate responsive and inclusive urban infrastructure investments. This will help create more resilient cities, bringing together intellectual and financial capital to revitalize local economies ravaged by the pandemic."

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